Day 1 (or day minus one of the build, depending on how you're counting) featured us arriving and getting a visitor's visa at the airport (which of course, struck terror into the former immigration lawyer's heart). More terror followed when they took our passports with our $20. The passport then was meticulously passed down a row of about 8 immigration officials before being returned to us Happily, the dramas ended there and we were met by Habitat folk and escorted to an airconditioned bus which took us to our hotel.
Michelle was conscientious and took the tour of the dump where our families had been living. Many other families still live there.
I stayed at the 4 star hotel and crashed. I'm sure that makes me a bad person.
We also had the welcoming dinner for 300+ global volunteers including Americans, Kiwis, Australians, Canadians, Belgium-ers, Germans, Thai, Hong Kong-ese, Bangladeshis, Cambodians, Chinese, Koreans, Singaporeans, and Malay.
There were lots of speeches, including by government Ministers who informed us that while the population of Cambodia living below the poverty line was previously (when?) 59%, today it was 25% and the government aims to reduce it by 1% per year. There was also some pretty spectacular Cambodian dancing (lots of gold costumes and intricate hand movements).
Dinner was quickly followed by an early night for my 5:30 am alarm!
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